Surgeons have used laparoscopic surgery to perform a variety of procedures. Such surgery, as compared to conventional surgery, reduces patient trauma, decreases patient recovery time, and reduces the amount of post-operative care required.
To perform a laparoscopic operation, a sufficient area for the introduction of a laparoscope and other instruments must be provided by raising the abdominal wall and separating the abdominal wall from the organs enclosed in the peritoneal cavity, commonly referred to as the abdominal cavity. Separation is typically obtained by pressurizing the peritoneal cavity with a suitable gas, typically carbon dioxide. The presence of artificial gas in the peritoneal cavity is referred to as pneumoperitoneum, and is achieved by use of an insufflation device to deliver the gas.
Due to the carbon dioxide or other gas often being depressurized before entry into the peritoneal cavity and the thermal properties of carbon dioxide, the carbon dioxide must be heated and/or the space of the insufflation device within which the carbon dioxide flows must be insulated so that the carbon dioxide gas can retain as much heat as possible during its conveyance to the peritoneal cavity. Heating of the gas in an insufflation device can be quite difficult.
To combat the heat loss of the gas conveyed through an insufflation device, the insufflation tube set presently manufactured and sold by the Assignee includes an electrical coiled wire inside the tube set of the insufflator, often at the distal end of the tube set. The electrical coiled wire is coated with an inert substance and is attached to an electrical lead near the distal end of the tube set. The lead, in turn, has a connector at its proximate end for connection to a temperature port on an insufflation unit. However, the addition of the electrical coiled wire to the tube set raises the cost of the tube set substantially.
In order to obviate, or at least minimize, the disadvantages of known arrangements, including the electrical coiled wire arrangement, the inventors of the present invention have developed unique and less costly heating structures that are effective for heating insufflation gas before it reaches a patient. To achieve such heating, an insufflation tube set is provided which may be connected to an insufflator unit.
One embodiment of the invention includes a warming sheath adjacent, and preferably surrounding, at least a portion of the tube set, preferably near its distal end. Another embodiment includes an electrical heating strip embedded into the wall of the tube set, wherein the heating strip is attached to an electricity source. Yet another embodiment includes an electrical heating strip adjacent the outer surface of the wall of the tube set. Alternatively, the electrical heating strip may be placed inside the tube of the tube set, preferably adjacent its distal end.
A heater in the insufflation unit may also be included to supply heat to the insufflation gas before it enters the tube set. Such a heater is preferably disposed downstream from a valve system which regulates the flow of the insufflation gas to the tube set.
These and other features, advantages, and objects of the present invention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.
Certain terminology will be used in the following description for convenience and reference only, and will not be limiting. For example, the words “upwardly”, “downwardly”, “rightwardly” and “leftwardly” will refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The words “inwardly” and “outwardly” will refer to directions towards and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the arrangement, and designated parts thereof. Said terminology will include the word specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import.